The present invention relates to an improved crimper assembly for use in making filter materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved crimper assembly having features which provide excellent results in imparting a crimped configuration to a formed rod of filter material such as tobacco smoke filter elements.
Previous apparatus for crimping filter materials for use in the manufacture of cigarettes and the like have included, for example, a crimping assembly such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,177, such an assembly including an arrangement of crimping wheels for imparting to the filter material a particular configuration.
By the present invention, there is provided an improved crimper assembly which has been found to allow operation at higher production speeds and to provide significantly longer life between refurbishment of such crimper apparatus. The crimper assembly of the present invention includes a separate insulated central heater block which incorporates the steam entrance housing of the crimper, and a means for accurately aligning this housing. Also provided in the improved crimper assembly of the present invention are separate side plate bearing blocks which are insulated from the heater block. The crimper assembly further includes provision for an alignment slot in the crimping wheels, thus allowing for precision alignment of the wheels during initial set-up, as well as during future refurbishment of the crimper assembly. Incorporated in the crimper assembly are eight bevel gears which provide positive interlock in a 360.degree. circle.
Additional features of the present invention include a drive shaft with universal joint incorporating a shear pin which provides positive torque breakaway if the crimper should become locked due to the failure of the gears or obstruction of the wheels and a coupling shoulder bolt in combination with a slotted shaft providing compensation for lateral misalignment and quick change of crimper assembly on the machine bed. Eccentric nuts facilitate the adjusting of the assembled individual crimper blocks in two planes. This feature provides an accurate and easy means of achieving crimper wheel alignment of each of the four crimping wheels relative to the other wheels. The end plates of the present crimper assembly have been designed to provide a center hole on one end with pin dowel alignment on the other end, which will allow precision alignment of the heater block within the assembly.